Monday, April 21, 2008

Susan Schwab, Our Braindead Trade Representative

She says the Colombia Free Trade deal is different, because most of Colombia's products (92% she said) get into America duty-free anyway, so this will be "leveling the playing field."  That blew my mind, that a human being could actually think that is not incredibly surprising, but that someone who works in the field could say that makes me throw up.

Then she acknowledged the narco-trafficking problem.  Lots of cocaine is grown in Colombia or is transited through there.  She said the trade deal might help that because people might turn to coffee or cut flowers instead of coca.  Did she not just fucking say that 92% of Colombian stuff gets in duty free already?  COFFEE GETS IN DUTY FREE.  Ergo, this can't make any ***-damned difference to coffee growers, and, in fact, will hurt them as some US imports replace domestic production. 

Susan Schwab, 100% Braindead Corporate Whore.

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